Cigar or cigarette lighter



April 23 1940- M. M. LuKEzlc 2,198,311

CIGAR 0R CIGARETTE LIGHTER Original Filed ug. V13, 1936 J3 ,"llmm Z Je i J Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE August 13,

1936. This application October 3,

1938, Serial No.'232,907

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar or cigarette lighters and more particularly to a pockettype of a device of that character, and is a continuing application of my prior application for patcnt for cigar or cigarette lighters iiled August 13, 1936, under Serial No. 95.778.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and inexpensive device of the character described in which the top of the casing containing the volatile or inflammable lighter iluid, is closed except for the projection of the wick, and is provided with a fixed or integral upwardly extending hollow pedestal containing the lighter or spark producing device and is so constructed whereby the flint is resliently held or spring pressed downwardly with its lower end against the top edge of the friction wheel so that a spark is produced to ignite the volatile or inilammable lighter uid at the wick gg by an anti-clockwise turning of the friction wheel against the flint by a similar turning of the thumb wheel and shaft or by an upward motion of a ilnger against the thumb wheel at the back and outside of the pedestal remote from g5 the wick as distinguished from the usual downward motion and turning of the friction wheel in a direction reverse to that speciiied as with other lighters where the flint is mounted beneath the friction wheel within or at the outside of 30 the casing and is always in position for operation while having no loose or complicated removably or pivotally connected parts which renders the same expensive to produce or likely to get loose or in a state of disrepair or difficult to operate u especially where two relatively movable parts must be held in a certain fixed relation during the igniting operation.

Another object is to provide such a device which is capable of improved efilciency and reo liability.

Another object is to provide a lighter of the character described which is secure against leakage of the lighter fluid.

A furtherobject is the improvement in a lighter of the character described in which the ilint is capable of maximum use and readily replaceable.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following de. scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a pocket lighter embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view ot the same;

u Fig. 3 is a bottom view;

Fig. 4 is aside view of the top portion of the lighter shown in Fig. 1, but turned about an angle of ninety degrees;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view ot the top portion of the lighter in central section showing a modifled form of wick cap.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show a lighter generally by the numeral I0,.hav ing a casing II which is provided with a closed end 'or top portion I2 and an open end I3 which gives access to a chamber I4. The casing Il is shown as being generally of cylindrical shape. the open end Il having a tapered threaded portion I5 for cooperative engagement with a tapered plug I6, which has the usual screwdriver slot I1. The top member I2 has a threaded aperture I8 in which is a threaded tube I9, thetube I9 be'- ing adapted to secure the end of a wick which extends a substantial distance within the chamber I4, and a threaded cap 2| encloses the exposed endof the wick 2li when not in use and is provided with a knurled head portion 22.

Mounted also on the closed top portion I2 is an integral pedestal 23 with one side thereof substantially in vertical alignment with the adjacent side or wall of the casing Il therebeneath which has a pair of spaced legs 24 by which it is secured to the top I2 and between which is an opening 25, theV pedestal 23 having an upper tubular portion 29 which in turn has a plain bore 21 communicating with the opening 25' and a threaded bore 29 connecting with the bore 21. A knurled friction wheel 29 is located in the opening and is secured to and supported by a shaft 30 which is rotatable in a bearing aperture 3| in each of the legs 24. A knurled thumb wheel 32 is provided at one' end of the shaft 30 by which the same, together with the friction wheel 29, may be rotated. A cylindrical flint element 33 is slidably secured in position in the bore 21 and held down against friction wheel 29 by an adjustable spring unit 34, which unit comprises a seat element or follower disc 35, a compression spring 36, and a headless adjusting screw 31 retained by the threaded bore 29 and having a groove for a screwdriver as shown in Fig. 2. A quantity of absorbent fabric material 38 fills the chamber I4 and is adapted to retain a quantity of inilammable lighter iiuid which obviously requires no further description herein.

Fig. 6 shows a somewhat modified formof wick cap structure and attachment. The dint adjusting screw 31a is of the iilister head type and holds a loose ring 38 which connects with a chain 40 to a swivel ball Il retained in a socket 42 of the top 22 of the cap 2|.

'I'he operation of the device should be apparent from the foregoing description. The plug I6 having a tapered thread portion is adapted to provide the lighter with a secure closure for preventing the escape of nuid within the chamber I4 inasmuch as the plug will provide a tight fit to the tapered threads I5 at all times, even after an appreciable amount of wear after numerous removals of the plug for refilling. The pedestal 23 provides the lighter with a sturdy and secure housing for the flint element and also vprovides an improved arrangement for maintaining the proper pressure of the flint against the friction wheel by the concealed adjustable screw 31 which is prevented from abrading the top of the dint by the seat or follower 35, The flint is resiliently held or spring pressed downwardly with its lower end against the top edge of the friction wheel 29 so that a spark is produced to ignite the volatile or inammable lighter fluid at the wick by an anti-clockwise turning of the friction wheel in the position shown in Fig. 1 or a clockwise turning in the position shown in Fig. 5 against the flint by a similar turning of the thumb wheel 32 and shaft 30 or by an upward motion of a. linger from the outside of the casing Il against the thumb wheel 32 at the back and outside of the pedestal 23 remote from the wick, as seen in Fig. 1, or in a clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, and so that the finger' may continue to ride or slide upwardly against the outside of the pedestal 23 and the upper tubular portion 26 thereof to facilitate ignition and prevent burning of the nger from the ignited flame, as distinguished from the usual awkward downward motion and turning of the friction wheel in a direction reverse to that specitled with other lighters where the flint is mounted beneath the friction wheel within or at the outside of the casing. p

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eiIect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish same, saidcasing havinga top wall and a sleeve portion with an aperture, a tube adjustably held in said aperture and securing the end of a wick extending into the chamber forIl vertical adjustment by raising or lowering the tube, a hollow pedestal extending up from the top end of the casing, a friction wheel rotatably supported in an opening at the bottom of the pedestal, a spring pressed int element in the pedestal, a threaded screw in the upper end of the pedestal to adjust the tension of the spring pressed flint element, means for turning the friction wheel, a cap threaded on the tube and a flexible connection loosely held by the screw and having a universal connection with the cap.

2. A cigar or cigarette lighter comprising a casing having a chamber adapted to contain a volatile uid with a illler opening and closing means therefor, a Wick in said chamber and having an externally exposed end portion, the

adjacent end of the casing being closedl a. tubular upright formed with the casing at said end portion with one side thereof substantially in vertical alignment with the adjacent side of the casing therebeneath and having a. diametrical opening at the bottom in line with the wick, a' friction wheel rotatably supported on a horizontal axis in said opening, a flint element in the bore of the upright, a follower on the int, a. spring in the upright on the follower, an Vadjustable screw threaded in the upper end of the upright to hold the int against the friction wheel on the axis of the friction wheel, and a thumb wheel and projecting outwardly of the upright for actuating the friction wheel by an upward stroke of the nger Vagainst the thumb wheel at the outside of the tubular` upright.

MATTHEW M. LUKEZIC. 

